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بر تن و دست و کتفها بی‌‌گزند ** از سر سوزن کبودیها زنند
- They tattoo themselves in blue with the point of a needle on body and hand and shoulders, so as to suffer no injury.
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سوی دلاکی بشد قزوینیی ** که کبودم زن بکن شیرینیی
- A certain man of Qazwín went to a barber and said, “Tattoo me (and) do it charmingly (artistically).”
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گفت چه صورت زنم ای پهلوان ** گفت بر زن صورت شیر ژیان
- “O valiant sir,” said he, “what figure shall I tattoo?” He answered, “Prick in the figure of a furious lion.
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طالعم شیر است نقش شیر زن ** جهد کن رنگ کبودی سیر زن 2985
- Leo is my ascendant: tattoo the form of a lion. Exert yourself, prick in plenty of the blue dye.”
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گفت بر چه موضعت صورت زنم ** گفت بر شانه‌‌گهم زن آن رقم
- “On what place,” he asked, “shall I tattoo you?” Said he, “Prick the design on my shoulder-blade.”
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چون که او سوزن فرو بردن گرفت ** درد آن در شانگه مسکن گرفت
- As soon as he began to stick in the needle, the pain of it settled in the shoulder,
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پهلوان در ناله آمد کای سنی ** مر مرا کشتی چه صورت می‌‌زنی
- And the hero fell a-moaning—“O illustrious one, you have killed me: what figure are you tattooing?”
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گفت آخر شیر فرمودی مرا ** گفت از چه عضو کردی ابتدا
- “Why,” said he, “you bade me do a lion.” “What limb (of the lion),” asked the other, “did you begin with?”
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گفت از دمگاه آغازیده‌‌ام ** گفت دم بگذار ای دو دیده‌‌ام 2990
- “I have begun at the tail,” said he. “O my dear friend,” he cried, “leave out the tail!
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از دم و دمگاه شیرم دم گرفت ** دمگه او دمگهم محکم گرفت
- My breath is stopped by the lion's tail and rump: his rump has tightly closed (choked) my windpipe.